Whatunion.
I am mystified. I would have thought that it was desirable to touch down as slow as possible - that is why tail-wheel types carry out three-point landings. It is only jet or turbo-prop types that in general are flown on to the runway.
Certainly if carrying out a precautionary landing where minimum ground roll is important - especially on rough ground - you certainly should not be flying it onto the ground with flying speed still there. That is a classic way of not only damaging the nose wheel but an undulation of the landing surface may throw the aircraft back into the air.
Here is an extract from that delightfully written book Elementary Flying Training published by the Air Ministry in 1943.
Page 78.
"How to Hold-Off. Once you have begun the stick movement required for flattening out, you have to go on gently easing the stick back towards you, so that the wheels keep the same distance from the ground.
You have to judge your height above the ground so as to avoid climbing or touching down too soon. Once more, you must look well ahead, and to one side, but this time you are looking in a definate direction at a constantly changing ground. Remember that., although you are trying to keep your wheels just off the ground, the tail is gradually getting nearer to the ground and the nose farther from it.
Throughout this period, keep the pressure gently on the stick, bringing it back towardsyou imperceptably until it is right back, when the aircraft stalls, and your landing is made.
Unquote:
A true short field landing (you are lost and have to get into a paddock), is carried out like a carrier landing - ie approach just above the stall around 1.05Vs using power to give you lift from the slipstream. Cut the power at the flare and float is minimised because the aircraft is already in a tail-down landing attitude and has run out of lift.
The 1.3Vs approach (or, as some term the manoeuvre, a performance landing, short field or precautionary landing,) ensures a safe margin above the power-off stall speed and therefore, if the touch-down speed is at the point of stall, must inevitably involve some float. It is therefore not a true short field landing in the emergency sense.
There is no float if the approach is made at say 1.05 Vs above the stall. Logically it follows that there must be float at 1.3Vs - if the aim is to touch down on the stall as explained in the earlier quote.
If the Regulations do not permit an approach speed below 1.3Vs, then the true short field landing is not attainable. Ask any wartime and immediate post war military or civilian pilot.
I do go on so, don't I? Sorry....